Log Date: 9/18/98 Log Cast: Venus Darkstar, Troy McTavish, Shenneret Veery, Rekkie's band (NPCs), Trinket, Canon, Stalh, Grimnar, Jonathan Webb, Aerilaya, Ariani (NPC), Murphy Log Intro: It's been quite the day for Shenner so far, as the young musician has had an encounter with a particularly arrogant representative of Caspar's Marines, the second man in a week who's seen fit to badger her with impertinent questions. And Shen still hasn't quite shaken her deep disturbance over having run into Paul once again -- nor her equally deep disturbance over the attack on the person of Princess Leia which she'd witnessed only a handful of days ago. She's doggedly shown up for work this evening, having at least temporarily forgotten that not all men she's encountered on Caspar thus far are hostile or overbearing.... ---------- The Sandbar A large circular room creates the main part of Caspar's infamous SandBar. Dark wood paneled walls adorned with all sorts of paraphanalia set the relaxed athmosphere of the bar. Photographs and holovids are pinned randomly around, seemingly with no order at all. Posters from years past hang proudly, displaying obscure bits of Plaxton's recent history. Several windows made from a deep blue glass allow light in from outside, while still keeping the appearance of the bar rather dark. Along one curved wall a marble bar stands proudly, where Ariani busies herself making drinks and cleaning occational spots of the bar. There is an abundant amount of seating in here. You notice quite a few booths and tables, as well as a loft which protrudes out over the bar. A popular local band plays smooth jazz in the background. ----For help with tables, type "PLACE HELP" ----For help with drinks, type "BAR HELP" -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => Ariani => Emma -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- leads to Fountain Square - Plaxton City. Venus enters the Sandbar. Venus has arrived. Troy enters the Sandbar. Troy has arrived. "The usual Ariani." Venus speaks with a calm tone, one put aside for this place. Ariani nods, and starts mixing without a blink, knowing the drink this woman seems in inhale. "Can I get you anything sir?" Venus asks Troy with a raised brow in inquiry. Troy walks in, shakes off some of the water off his head and then responding to Venus "Het, i'm fine..." Venus accepts Ariani's drink and puts down an amount in payment that is obviously greater than the cost of the drink. Generous tipper. She then points to the private booth. "Shall we?" Venus dissapears among the patrons. Low-key music is the order of the evening tonight from the Sandbar's resident band, six-part harmony and an intricate melody wafting its way through the place and providing background noise for what conversation is going on among the scattering of patrons. Among the musicians, Shenner is playing a flute tonight, a slim dark thing of dappled wood of some kind, possibly carved. Troy dissapears among the patrons. Troy slides into the opposit side "thank yeah Ma'am...i needs ta talk Private and all..." winks "I have something that i think Kadgie and the rest of the gov would be interested in." [And eventually...] Troy stands and lends a hand to Venus "Been my pleasure M'Lady." Taking the hand with care, Venus offers a polite smile. Nothing more. She says genuinely, "Always a pleasure to see you, young man. Now, do come by soon so we can discuss things. I mean that." At that, she makes a quick run for the door. Venus walks out of the Sandbar and the door closes automatically. Venus has left. Troy watchs Venus go...and scratches his head "young Man...." puffs on his cigar The band finishes off its number, the voices of the human lead singer and the Twi'lek keyboardist at the very top of the harmony the group's voices are laying down. The redheaded flute player lowers her instrument long enough to add her husky tenor to the final chorus, before the song winds down and she and her flute contribute to the close by trilling off low into the resulting silence. Troy turns to hear the end of the music, notices the Flute player..hrmmm's and watches. Troy walks over to the Bar still watching the band. He watches the flute player but not so much her, but how she playes like he is trying to learn something. "Thank you," says the lead singer, into the resulting quiet applause. The group begins another number, this one with a little more tempo to it, and an instrumental; the flute player changes over to a guitar, and the group starts into a jazzy melody line. Four measures in, the singer begins in on her lyrics, something in a gutteral kind of language that seems to fit in oddly well with the syncopated chords. The flute -- or perhaps more appropriately, at least for now, the guitar -- player, the young redheaded human, has her big guitar parked in her lap and is pulling forth a substantial backbone beat to the number, while the two horn players peal out punctuation in between the lead singer's words. The redhead seems entirely comfortable with her instrument, at least as comfortable as someone playing with her look of grim determination might be. Troy Turns to Ariana, and orders a Ale. Pays her the creds and slams it back. Then orders another. Troy then turns back and watches the band. His foot a tapping, as he enjoys the the upbeat tempo. Ariani is apparently entirely comfortable, for her own part, with people slamming down drinks around the bar which serves as her domain. She smiles faintly, though, at Troy's attention to the band before she turns off to tend to another customer. This number the band is playing seems fairly long and complex, and after the first verse and chorus, the Twi'lek keyboardist, the young man at the drums, and the redheaded girl on the guitar all join in on backup harmony, setting up a call-and-response tossing back and forth of lyrics with the tall leggy woman leading the performance. The music getting the better of Him, He grabs the Nearest Lady, and drags he out onto the dance floor.Gives he a quick bow, and starts to artfully lead her around the floor. Making complex circles on the floor.. The lady Yelping as Troy Swings her around the Floor, is all smiles and is enjoying her self. Troy is doing some very old style dancing, probably not ever seen on this Planet before. For several long minutes the song continues, driving, rhythmic, layered in its harmony, and coaxing a few other sentients to follow Troy's example; eventually, though, it begins to wind its way to its finish, the volume and tempo both growing, the lead singer calling out her lyrics in a clearer and stronger voice, the backup vocals providing her a foundation from which to leap into higher portions of her range. Troy smiling from ear to ear, as he enjoys the dance, the music, and the ale. And at last, as precisely as if someone had flicked them all off at the same time, the musicians snap their performance to a crisp, clean close. As more enthused applause and a few cheers greet their conclusion, the lead singer and several of the other band members grin out at everyone; even the dour-eyed guitar player grins a bit from her position on the side of the group. Troy finishing his dance with a bow to the poor Girl, he then turns to the band and applauds.. "Thank you!" calls out the lead singer cheerfully. "It's our break time, people, we'll be back in fifteen. Till then, enjoy your drinks." And with that, the band begins to relax for its called break time, the lead singer and the Twi'lek hopping down off the stage and heading towards the bar; the horn players turn to converse with the young drummer. And the guitarist, rubbing tiredly at her left shoulder, turns a green gaze out into the bar, then sets down her instrument and gets up to follow the other two females. Troy intercepts the Red Head "Ummm Can i Ask yeah a question if'n yeah don't mind." Shenner looks tired, and Shenner looks cranky, and the gaze she lifts up to Troy as the man intersects her path in the wake of the others is unamiable. She does, however, stop. "What?" she says roughly. Troy sorry for distrubing you "But i was woundering, How long has it take'n yeah ta learn the flute..." reaches down and pulls out his own flute, But his is made of wood, and has many carved Knot work on it..."Yeah see, I started to learn awhile back..." _That_ catches Shenner's attention; clearly, she wasn't expecting a flute to be held out to her. She blinks. She stares. And then she says in a somewhat more amiable tone, "I been playin' the flute most of my life, pal." Amiable, at least, in that she no longer sounds hostile. Her eyes sweep over the instrument in his hands, and apparent appreciation might be noted in her gaze. "Nice flute." Troy smiles "Aye it was a gift from, my father, and his father...and so on.." then realizing that Shenner probably does not rember him he extends a hand "The Name is Troy McTavish, we Meet briefly once.....and well i started Young, but my umm training was interupted for a long time..." kinda looks down at his feet "Do yeah Teach." Troy Troy McTavish, is your typical country boy. He is 5'10 of average build, with dark hair (kept in a military cut), peircing Green eyes, and kinda cute in a boyish sorta way. There is not much that seperates Troy from anyother joe on the streets except for his good natured happy go lucky heart. He is always willing to lend a hand or talk for a spell at the local pup. His clothes are very plane, dominated by browns and greens. His boots have seen many many many many Km's. -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => Protective Vest => DL-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol => Vibro-Knife => HBT-4 Hunting Blaster -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => CigarCase The redheaded musician blinks yet again, on the word _teach_. She looks Troy McTavish's frame up and down, and only belatedly realizes he's offered his hand to her. She peers at that, too, for a moment, before grudgingly taking and shaking it; there's some wariness to the motion, as if handshakes as of late have been preludes to trouble of some sort for her. "Shen Veery... you... want me... to _teach_ ya?" Troy smiles "Aye i Do, Yeah see..." Looks at a nearby empty table "Can we Sit, so i can explain, why i ask..." His Deep intense Green eye's almost seem to be pleading for you to listen. Shenner eyes the young man, but slowly and grudgingly nods, gesturing off to the nearest unoccupied table. She doesn't show any sign of being vulnerable to pleading green gazes, but at least her attention is gotten. Troy comes out of the crowd. Troy smiles and walks over to the table offering a chair to Shen Troy sits down at the table. You slip into a seat at the table. TABLE A large table set with white linen and adorned with a great candleabra in the center. Occupied: Troy At the Prestige table, Shenner settles down into the chair, eying Troy askance as it's offered, but she sits nevertheless. "So," she repeats, "you want me to _teach_ ya?" At the Prestige table, Troy slids the chair in As Shen sits down, and then takes a chair himself and then continues "Aye, Yeah see my father was teaching me how to play, and i rember most of what he taught me..but he was killed before i got to know very much,And if one starts something he should finish it. Do you not agree Lass." At the Prestige table, Shenner, not particularly graceful of posture, leans over onto her elbow and peers over at the young man before her, unreadably. "Yeah," she says shortly, just enough to acknowledge the sentiment and to indicate that she's listening. At the Prestige table, Troy smiles "Well, and since your the only person whome i've seen who actually plays it well, I was figuring i could learn from yeah..." shruggs "I Hope i am not ask'n to much..." At the Prestige table, Shenner is apparently still rather taken aback at this entire notion. "I see two things wrong with this idea, pal," she says bluntly. "One, I ain't exactly of the teachin' temperament, and two, if your dad taught you, what makes you think I know anything you don't already know?" At the Prestige table, Troy Nods "Well i watched yeah play, a little and yeah do know more then me.." shruggs "but i guess i ask to much.." Smiles and offers a hand "Sorry for taking up your time, i'll not bother you again." Trinket enters the Sandbar. Trinket has arrived. At the Prestige table, Shenner frowns, apparently still rather taken aback. She eyes the offered hand, then shakes it, the motion apparently something akin to picking up a live snake for this grim-eyed young woman. "Don't worry about it," she says brusquely. Shenner might be spotted sitting at one of the tables, along with Troy, eying the young man rather askance. Her expression is grim, her features worn and ever so slightly tired. Troy gives Shenner a large smile "well if'n yeah ever change your mind, i'll be around i always am..." and then slides his Flute back into the side of his boot. Trinket slinks into the room, remaining frozen against the window nearest to the door for a long moment. Strands of blonde float into her face, and her hands rest lightly against the wall panels. Her gaze seems centered around her feet, though clearly through peripheral vision she checks out her surroundings warily. Up the stage, the horn players, the tall black-skinned human male and the woman who looks enough like him to be his sister, are still chatting with the young drummer; at the bar, the lead singer and the Twi'lek keyboardist are chatting with Ariani. While the rest of the band is still occupied, Shenner edgily nods, then says gruffly, "'Scuse me. I better get back and warming back up before the next set." And she gets to her feet. You step away from the table. Troy gives Shenner a nod Troy watches Trinket Warily...hrmmmm's Unconsciously reaching for and fiddling with the silver-and-brass necklace that dangles at her throat, Shenner starts making her way back to the stage, nodding distractedly at another customer who calls out a well-meant comment of approval for the playing tonight. It doesn't take her long to get back to the stage and retake her chair and her guitar, hoisting the big instrument back up into her lap, and tuning it with the same grim determination with which she'd been playing before. The instrument, at least to those of musically inclined ears, doesn't appear to _need_ tuning, but Shenner occupies herself with making minute adjustments to the thing anyway, tightening one string, loosening another, and subtly tweaking the volume knob that feeds into the guitar's power circuitry. Trinket turns her head very slowly to the side, for the first time directing a bird-like, one dimensional gaze around the room, as if she sees better with one eye at a time, rather than two. One delicate hand goes up to cover the other one, and she creeps a little to the left, almost bumping into a table, but stepping away just in time, and freezing again. Troy stands up from the Prestige Table, and walks towards the door, in a straight line. (not looking at Trinket). Troy stands up from the table. Trinket remains frozen, her eyes taking on a distant look, as her head tilts to the other side. She appears to listen intently to the sounds of the guitar being tuned, and draws a few stares from those nearest her, as she hums very softly in perfect tune to each minor adjustment. The break time still in effect, Shenner waits for Rekkie and Aa'leet to rejoin the rest of the musicians on stage, restlessly plucking out a few chords on her guitar. After a few measures it turns into a soft, slow melody that catches the attention of the other three on the stage, and after a moment, Tethra, the black-skinned male, lifts his horn to his lips and begins to blow out a breathy accompaniment. Troy then Sits in a chair right behind Trinket, and watches her intently. Observing her, to see if she is going to be in need of some assistance, after all the last time he saw her she was in the hospital with various tubes runing in and out of her. Some of the near catatonic stiffness of her muscular relaxes at the start of the music, and the strange blonde woman even begins to sway a little bit, in perfect rhythm with the music. Her feet, however, remain firmly planted on the floor. Nervous fingers unwind themselves from the blonde strands of hair around her face, choosing to rest lightly on the sides of her face instead. Troy walks up to Trinket slowly as not to Scare her "Yeah alright, M'Lady." offers an Arm "Can i get yeah a chair ta sit in." Shenner can be seen to shoot a restless glance at her compatriots, as if surprised to hear them joining in with her. But after a few moments, she begins playing in earnest. And she fixes her attention off into the air, beginning to sing very softly: Love me one more time Make this night last forever For come the morrow, we leave for Mandalore... Trinket startles slightly, even at Troy's approach, so engrossed is she in the music. She scuttles backwards a little, bumping into a nearby table, and cringing, covering her face with her hands and peering at Troy through her fingers. Troy holding his hands up as if to say 'i mean no harm' "Yeah alright lass.." Trinket seems to crumple into herself, still shielding her face, and still peeking through her fingers at Troy like a little girl watching a horror show. Something seems to register in the large blue eyes and she relaxes slightly, starting to sway a little to the music again. She ducks her head shyly to the other side, and extends one slightly trembling hand towards Troy. Karm peers at her brother on his horn, and then she leans closer in to the redheaded guitar player, experimentally humming along with the song. It's apparent the rest of the musicians don't know this tune Shenner is singing, but she's equally apparently caught their interest. I may survive And my heart will always fly with yours But come the morrow, we leave for Mandalore... Raj sits down at the bar. Raj takes a seat at the bar. He looks over to the band's performance with interest. He orders a golden liquid in a transparent glass. Troy takes the hand of Trinket and pulls he off the Floor "Are you allright lass.." said in a gentel voice, but loud enough so it can be heard over the music. Trinket smiles silently, regarding Troy bashfully and following along obediently. She trills softly to him in response, using her free hand to point at the performers on stage. Troy looks at Trinket Curiously "Yeah say'n yeah like the music lass, or would yeah like ta dance..." And if I die, just remember I love you And you'll always be mine Let us warm up this cold night together Come the morrow we leave for Mandalore And with that, Shenner drifts off into a complicated bridge on her guitar, plaintive, multi-layered, flowing and sweet. Tethra keeps up the horn part he is improvising, and Loren, his drumsticks held motionless over his snare drum, just stares and listens. Over by the bar, the Twi'lek member of the band, Aa'leet, turns and places a dainty white hand upon the shoulder of her lead singer, Rekkie, directing her attention to the stage. Trinket pulls slightly on Troy's hand, still pointing excitedly at the musicians. She turns, smiling sweetly over her shoulder at Troy, a few more stubborn whisps of blonde falling into the wide blue eyes. Troy confused By Trinket's action he surrenders and says "Well you lead the way then lass, and i'll follow." Gives a wink. Trinket moves towards the stage in a straight line, quite bold for her, with Troy in tow. She stops scant feet from the edge, staring upwards at the performers with wide, luminous eyes, still clinging tightly to Troy's hand. Troy Almost has his arm Jerked out of its socket, (man i've been taken a beat'n latly), and follows Trinket along. This melody of Shenner's, flowing in six-eight time and in its minor key, goes on for several measures. Something of the grim, dogged look in Shenner's eyes begins to fade as she plays, her attention now on Tethra -- and Karm, too, as the dark-skinned woman picks up her horn and joins in with her brother. And at last, laggingly, Loren joins in, laying down subtle rhythms on his drums, just enough to keep the time. Trinket closes her eyes halfway, her face radiant as she absorbs the feel and tempo of the music, transforming the awkward into the ethereal. She hums very softly, the tone beautiful if untrained, in a subtle countermelody to the main one, though it's unlikely to be heard, except for those nearest. Troy now finally understanding, or atleast thinks he does "Ahhh lass, yeah wish ta learn, how ta make music." When Shenner begins to sing again, her voice has subtly lightened somehow, though it still holds a pained and plaintive edge. Singing low when she comes back in but drawing out the otherwise simple lyrics with leaps and dances up into her higher register, she resumes: Come the morrow, let me love you forever For come the morrow, we leave for Mandalore And if I die, just remember I love you And you'll always be mine Let us warm up this cold night together Come the morrow, we leave for Mandalore.... Trinket hums softly with the words, her eyes opening again, wide and glistening. Her face reflects each change in pitch, each subtle change in emotion. One tear finds its way from the corner of her eye, tracing down the curve of her cheek. Trinket looks at you for a moment. Troy is not sure what the problem is..."can yeah speak lass?" its a plan question but one that needs ta be asked. The drummer and the horn players notice the young woman who's drawn up to the stage, and they blink in ragged succession at her, but they are good enough musicians all that her presence doesn't throw them. Shenner, in the meantime, sings out the final line one more time: Come the morrow, we leave... for Mandalore.... And then she stills her guitar. Tethra and Karm take the melody out on a perfect minor third, and the song is then complete. Trinket remains rooted in place, transfixed, either not hearing or not registering Troy's gentle question. She continues to stare up at the performers in a near trance, another tearstreak rolling down her opposite cheek. Her lips are parted slightly, as if she were about to speak, or to draw a breath, but she does neither, freezing as the music ends. Karm lowers her horn and smiles kindly down at Trinket; Tethra squints a brown eye down at her, exchanges a baffled look with Loren, and then leans over to address the redheaded girl with the guitar. "Where did _that_ come from, little redbird?" he says lowly in her direction. His voice is mellifluous, rich, and very, very deep. Shen snaps her gaze round at a few nearby faces, clears her throat, and mutters, "Uh, it's just... somethin' I wrote. Sounded good, with the horns. Er... thanks." Troy watches the Complicated Young lady, with fasination. Then taking another look at her from top to bottom, he is unsure if she just escaped from someplace or should be going to a costume party Trinket seems to wilt as the music ends, a bit of hollow despair creeping into the fathomless blue of her eyes. She shivers from head to toe, suddenly looking frightened as she finds herself in a rather conspicuous place. Troy's hand becomes a lifeline as she clearly panics, squeezing it almost painfully. Looking up with a gaze returning to gruff and veiled, Shenner blinks down at Troy and Trinket, looking rather taken aback by the evident emotional state of the latter. As Karm steps forward, her black brow crinkled in kindly concern, the stage is approached at the same time by Rekkie and Aa'leet, the remaining members of the band. Drawing near in time to hear Tethra's question, Rekkie puts in her carrying tones, "Wherever that came from, Shen, bring in some more of it. You didn't tell us you write, too." "Y'all didn't ask," Shen mutters. Rekkie, in the meantime, turns to Trinket and Troy and adds, golden eyebrows raised, "Everything okay here?" Troy looks down at his hand and then to Trinket but responds to Rekkie "I'm not sure..." and then looks back at Trinket "Yeah want me to take yeah someplace?" Trinket trills softly, tears still flowing down her pale, still shadow-bruised cheeks. She cringes slightly as Rekkie moves a bit closer (?), stepping back against Troy quite accidentally, and jumping like a spooked filly. She pauses awkwardly, apparently growing more confused. Another sound escapes the pretty bow lips, a plaintinve half sob/half bleat, followed by a long look at the quiet instruments. Aa'leet shifts her beribboned headtails, pushing them back behind her shoulders, and then tilts her white head at Trinket in apparent bemusement. She considers, and then smiles reservedly at Troy and the strange young woman, stepping up onto the stage with lithe and graceful movements. Karm and Rekkie are left nearest to the two by the stage, and Karm offers in a voice almost as deep and flowing as her brother's, "We'll be playing again in a few moments...?" The last word rises with a slight questioning tone. And Rekkie peers at Karm, then at Trinket, to whom she affirms, "It was our break time." She jumps up on the stage again, by way of punctuation. And Shenner, sitting there in her chair with the big guitar in her lap, peers down in apparent befuddlement at Trinket. She doesn't offer any commentary, but the question 'What's with her?' is written rather expressively across her face. Troy bends over and pulls out his Flute out of his boot and offers it to Trinket "Yeah wanna play it.." offering it to her. The FLute that is being offered is made of wood and has delecatly carved Knot work in it. With the return of the full band to the stage, positions are taken: Aa'leet to her keyboard, Tethra and Karm to either side of the young Corellian drummer. Rekkie, claiming the center of the stage as is her due, keeps her golden brows up as she remarks to Troy in dry amusement, "We've adopted one stray musician already, buddy." She turns to the band, though, murmuring a song title to them, and receives several returning nods. Shenner, however, pauses in shifting her guitar, peering down at Troy, Trinket, and the flute. The offering of a new 'toy' seems to soothe the distressed girl somewhat, though those tears keep flowing. Strangely, her expression is mostly calm or vacant, as if the emotion behind the tears is blocked by obscured by a heavier fog. Her fingers trace the ins and outs of the knotwork of the flute, carefully exploring every milimeter of its surface. A glistening tear drops onto its surface, rubbed away by the caressing of her fingertips. The exchange between Trinket and Troy might be right near the stage, but as long as they're keeping to themselves, the band doesn't appear to mind their presence. Rekkie turns and glances round at everyone at their instruments, ascertaining their readiness; she counts off softly, then, and after four beats, the group begins to play. Troy SHruggs at Shen's words, and then watchs Trinket go over his flute. "We could go someplace quite to play it if you like...i could play it if you like. "His eyse almost pleading for some kind of coherent thought from Trinket. Once more, any comment or action the girl might have made vanishes as the music starts again. She scoots back even further to the side of the stage, out of the way of most people's view, her hand still entwined with Troy's. She sinks very slowly to the floor, adopting a crosslegged position near the outside end of the stage, and pressing her cheek lightly against the edge of it. Apparently in respect for Shenner's impromptu song before, this new number of the band's is in a similar vein, something soft and flowing and in a minor key. Rekkie's voice is a contrast to Shen's, though, soprano rather than an earthy near-tenor. Shen, nearest to Trinket, peers down over the edge of the stage as she plays her guitar, her brow furrowed at the woman's bizarre behavior. Troy being pulled By Trinket to the side of the stage, as she sits down. He slides the flute back into its hiding place in his boot. follows Suite with Trinket and sits down on the floor (not pressing his cheek against the stage). But watches Trinket, to make sure she does not hurt her self or something equally as bad. McTavish Com Badge emits a **Beep** **beep** he looks down and says "AHhh shit..." looks at Trinket "Yeah gonna be okay, alone....i have ta go.." gets up ta leave. Trinket's eyes take on a comtemplative, distant air as her cheek rests against the stage, her knees tucked to her chin. Her lips move slightly, very softly to the beat of the music--even Troy's ears are too far away to hear what comes from them. Her hand releases Troy's as he rises, her gaze flicking to him for a moment, with a glimmer of recognition before she's lulled back into the music. Troy looks down at Trinket..and then as he leaves the bar Gives Shen a nod and a shrugg, as if to say 'see yeah around and I do not have a clue' he then leaves. Troy walks out of the Sandbar and the door closes automatically. Troy has left. Shenner notes Troy's departure, and peers down rather uncertainly at the girl curled up by the stage. But she, like the rest of the musicians in the group, is a solid enough performer that she keeps up her part of the song without hesitation. Rekkie is singing out her sweet lyrics in an almost piercingly sweet two-part harmony with Aa'leet, the Twi'lek's voice even higher and purer than hers, in the meantime, while the rest of the band focuses in on music rather than vocals for backup. The fingers of one of Trinket's hand curl against the lip of the stage, as if it were a rock face she was clinging to--the hand formally occupied by Troy's finds its way to her hair near her temple, twisting absently in it. The blue eyes are heavy lidded, entranced, one booted foot tapping very softly to the base rhythm of the song. Minutes pass, and the bar falls into relative quiet, with the song providing its background noise to the scattered loci of conversation at the tables and booths. When Aa'leet and Rekkie finally finish their duet, the band segues its way into something livelier, Shenner beginning a rhythm line that is shortly thereafter joined by the brother and sister on the horns, then by Aa'leet on the keyboard, Loren on his drums, and finally Rekkie sliding her way into the opening lyrics with punch to the first few words and then some. Canon enters the Sandbar. Canon has arrived. Stalh enters the Sandbar. Stalh has arrived. Trinket stays in her balled position between stage and wall, at the far corner. Her cheek is pressed lightly against the lip of the stage, her cheeks wet and glistening still from past tears, though they seem to have finally stopped. Her knees are pulled to her chin, the too-short trousers of her jumpsuit riding up to reveal scraped shins above the bootline. A thin veil of blonde now provides some cover to wide, enthralled blue eyes that watch the band intently. Shenner's guitar keeps up its growling four-four rhythm, and when Rekkie reaches her chorus, the band comes in to accent each downbeat with sharp, sung syllables of harmony. With Trinket still lingering near the stage, the redheaded girl with the guitar on the band's far right side keeps peering down every so often at Trinket, clearly trying to figure out exactly why the woman is curled up there. Trinket seems content to rock with the music, smudging her cheek with a bit of dust as she does so. This doesn't seem to phase her in the slightest, though she does wince slightly as the edge rolls over a still-sensitive part of her bruise. Inexplicably, the tears start up again--even more strangely, the delicate lips curve upwards at the corners into a very slight smile. And the music keeps on, the lively number segueing into one in which the six band members begin singing with no other instruments save Loren's drum and their combined voices. The resultant six-part harmony, with Tethra's rumbling bass on one end of the scale and Aa'leet's clarion soprano at the other, is exquisite, and rings out through the bar. Trinket rises shakily to her feet, almost immediately crumpling again as her blood deprived tucked legs are forced to suddenly carry weight again. She bites her lower lip hard, and struggles to stand again, resting long fingers lightly against her cheeks. The tears keep coming, though now there is a pained look to the big blue eyes, and a tremble to the whispering lips. Enough of this. Shenner, for the a capella song, had already set her guitar down; when the band once more stops for breath, the redheaded guitar player holds up a hand off to Rekkie to let the older woman know to proceed without her, and with that, the young musician moves warily closer to the edge of the stage, leaning over to murmur at Trinket, "Hey. Hey, you... you okay?" Trinket rocks back and forth, from foot to foot, backing up in the corner of the wall, near the stage. The pressure against her from the walls seems to have a calming effect, the tearful eyes moving to Shenner with wary interest. Her lips move, the softest of whispers falling from them, though they're quickly lost in the music. Grimnar enters the Sandbar. Grimnar has arrived. Grimnar walks out of the Sandbar and the door closes automatically. Grimnar has left. Shenner slips down off the stage, slowly approaching Trinket in the corner, her hands up, palms visible. "Uhh, hey, it's okay?" she speaks up, while in the meantime, the band begins their next number. "Look, uh, you need help or anything?" Trinket Even the back of this young human woman's head might give some humans and human-sympathetics thought to pause and try to catch a glimpse of more. Fine, silky blonde hair so light in color it is almost white, falls a few inches past her waist on the rare times it is not held back in some way. Her skin is a smooth, creamy bisque ivory that reveals no flaws or marks. Large cerulean-blue eyes glance at the world with serenity, framed in thick light-colored lashes and delicately arched brows. Her lips are a light primrose, contrasting nicely with her pale skin. She stands an unassuming 5'10", her height made unintimidating by a gentle demeanor. Her frame is pleasantly proportionate, if a little on the thin side. She wears an ill-fitting military jumpsuit, still too baggy, but also a little too short in the arms and legs, but the patches and insignia have been removed. Her flaxen hair has been carefully tended--braided into a long plait that keeps it out of the way, though stubborn strands still escape to frame her face and neck. Her left temple is darkened with a splotchy, healing blue-black yellow bruise, fingers of which extend and threaten to encompass four long scratches across her cheek that look as if they were made by a human hand. Trinket's hands rise to her face, covering it, though this time it seems more oriented to shyness than fear. She watches the shorter woman through her fingers, smiling through her tears. She hums softly, questioningly, the blue eyes awestruck. _Ohhh, man,_ Shen thinks, frowning in general puzzlement, not at all sure what to make of the behavior of the taller female. Puzzled enough to reel back slightly on her booted heels a moment or two, the redheaded girl squints one green eye at Trinket, and ventures, "Uhh. Hi?" Trinket ducks her head, the word apparently producing a conditioned response of some kind. She sniffles lightly, blinking away more tears, though a fat one rolls down her cheek to splash on her boot, the fingers of her right hand coming away from her face long enough for a little finger-waggling wave. A glimpse of a shy smile can be seen, before it's hidden against her other hand. Shenner's brow wrinkles in consternation, and she peers down at herself, trying to figure out what about her shabbily clad frame might be causing this sort of reaction in a female who has four inches of height on her. "Don't say much, do ya?" she murmurs, unconsciously reaching to fidget with the silver-and-brass pendant dangling on the chain round her throat. More loudly, she adds, "You, uh, like the music, huh?" And she jerks a thumb over her shoulder at the five remaining musicians on stage. Aa'leet has begun a solo in her own language, singing with an almost painful sweetness, her hands daintily extended out to either side, palms up. Trinket nods once, again very bashfully, hiding half of her face. Her lips move again, very softly, once more the words lost in the background sound. The cerulean eyes seem transfixed on Shen, though they seem to focus more on her mouth and that interesting pendant than her eyes. The girl points to the pendant curiously, snuggling back against the wall. [Even if she is a bizarrely vulnerable-looking and possibly in trouble stranger, Shenner isn't about to tell a stranger about the necklace she wears in memory of Paul... and if nothing else, there's only so long she can get away with remaining offstage when she's supposed to be performing. She leaves the strange young woman as politely as she can. Although she tries to keep an eye out for her as the band continues its performance, eventually, the strange girl disappears, leaving a bemused Shenner to do her best to carry out the rest of her part of the night's performance, until at last it's time for them to head for home...] The front door opens to reveal Webb, looking somewhat like a drowned rat at the moment. He /must/ enjoy that for some reason, because he is wearing some form of rain jacket, and carries an umbrella in his free hand, so he certainly could be dryer if he so wished. Ariani looks at him and gives him a sigh, "Hot tea with citrus?" Webb flashes a tight-lipped smirk and nods. The Sandbar's musicians have begun to wind it up for the night, it seems. The two horn players and the Twi'lek keyboard player are still on stage, but the young Corellian drummer and the lead singer are off into the crowd now, and Shenner is packing up her guitar at the stage's far end. Aerilaya looks up from the table and sees webb. She waves him over. Webb must be kind of chilled. He looks even paler than normal, which upon his icy complexion is /quite/ the achievement. Well, at least he's not blue or anything. He casts his glance down to the end of the bar, waving to Shenner before making his way down to that part of the room, leaving what is getting to be a characteristic trail of dripped rainwater. Ariani chuckles at him and shakes her head at him, muttering one word, "Marine..." Shenner looks up, her guitar safely stowed away, and blinks tiredly in Webb's direction. Then her features relax a bit, and she nods gruffly at the young man, calling succintly, "Hiya." Murphy enters the Sandbar. Murphy has arrived. Murphy walks out of the Sandbar and the door closes automatically. Murphy has left. "We're outta here, people," says Rekkie to the rest of the band, grabbing her drummer by his arm and amiably hauling the young man off out the door. Loren's drumsticks are stuck blithely into his back pocket, and as the two take their leave, the remaining musicians on the stage wave to them. The Twi'lek, Aa'leet, has started powering down her keyboard, and Tethra and Karm are packing away their horns. Webb grins slightly, standing there across from Shen, dripping rainwater and looking perhaps a bit foolish to some... well, perhaps many. He swipes a bar napkin, and uses it to dry off his face and then asks of his musician friend, "How'd the show go tonight?" Shen straightens up, leaning the guitar case against the wall, and regards Webb with a strange mix of wariness and relief. "Kinda dead tonight," she says roughly, "but we pulled in enough to make this week's pay. Yeah, 'Leet, see you tomorrow." This last is clearly directed to the white-skinned Twi'lek female who steps gracefully down off the stage and turns her luminous, liquid dark regard to the guitar player, delivering her a farewell in softly accented Basic. Grimnar enters the Sandbar. Grimnar has arrived. Grimnar sits down at the bar. Webb emits a quiet chuckle as Ariani sets down a cup of tea for him. The dripping of water from his jacket slowly ebbs away finally. He picks up the cup of tea, but doesn't sip from it yet. He just lets the vapour warm his face for a moment as he asks Shen, "Maybe it's the weather that's doing it? It doesn't seem to be for everyone." The redheaded musician shrugs, scrubbing the back of one hand across her eyes; she looks rather bleary around the edgs. "Could be," she rasps softly. "Been a helluva week." Grimnar walks out of the Sandbar and the door closes automatically. Grimnar has left. Webb nods a little in agreement, and lifts the cup of tea to his lips and sips slowly, the heat of the beverage seeming to return a bit of the colour to his face... well, not that he has much in terms of colour to begin with, really. He looks pretty worn himself, actually... been running away from such things as sleep again, he has. It shows mostly in his eyes, and a bit in the tone of his voice. He lowers the cup says, "Yeah, that it has." Shenner grunts assent, incongruous though the noise might be made by her. For a moment or two, she eyes the young man, then mutters, "'Scuse me," and takes her guitar up into her hands, moving to haul it off towards the back of thebar. She's not gone long; only a minute or two pass before she returns without the instrument case, one hand fidgeting with her silver-and-brass pendant. Webb is leaning against the bar when you return... already through most of the cup of tea that Ariani has served for him. You know, it's possible that he looked less weary when he was still cold and wet. Such conditions do tend to kill one's desire to sleep after all... or just make it difficult to fulfill. His mouth opens wide in one of those utterly contagious sorts of yawns, quickly to be covered by his free hand. Once the yawn has passed, he shakes his head a little in hopes of regaining some alertness, "Loooooong day." "How come you ain't sleepin', then?" Shenner says brusquely, coming back into earshot, nodding tiredly to Ariani as she draws near. Webb grins a little and says, "I only just escaped from work." He takes a sip of his tea before he continues, "And this place is on my way home... I figured I at least had enough useful consciousness to stop in and say hi." This seems to startle Shen. "What, to me?" Webb chuckles quietly and shrugs his shoulders, "Sure. There some reason I shouldn't?" Shenner stares at the soldier longly, then sinks onto a stool, waves down Ariani, and tells her tiredly, "Gimme a cider, will ya?" As Ariani nods, Shen adds to Webb, not looking at him, "Sorry. Had enough of karkin' weird men this week. Prob'ly what I get for workin' in a bar." Webb chuckles again and smirks, looking somewhat amused, "Maybe I should go then. I'm not exactly everyone's poster boy for normalicy now am I?" The redheaded girl snorts. She leans forward to prop an elbow onto the bartop, rubbing the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. "You tell me, pal. Are you normal?" Webb grins broadly and shakes his head as he says, "Hope not. Seems like it'd be as boring as hell. No 48 hour work days. No doing who knows what, who knows where. No rain in your face, and nothing but utterly mundane people to hang around with." Shenner lifts her head and turns her green gaze on Webb, then, her brow crinkled in apparent bemusement. Then Ariani slips her the cider; with a muttered 'thank you' at the woman, she accepts the mug, and gulps down a mouthful of it before telling Webb, "Well, me, I'd like a little normal for once." Webb shrugs his shoulders a little and says after draining the last of this cup of tea, "So would I, I think... just not in excessive doses." Shen mutters something under her breath, something that might be 'don't knock it, some of us ain't got it.' But that's brief, and directed into her cider mug. More loudly, she abruptly goes on, peering at Webb, "Can I ask you somethin'?" Webb shrugs one shoulder slightly as he reaches up to rub his eyes, and answers light-heartedly in spite of his apparent fatigue, "Don't see why not. I've let people do that before after all." Shenner doesn't smile. "I ain't been on this world more'n a coupla weeks and ain't really got much into the local news holos. You know anything about..." And she waves a hand peremptorily skyward, looking for words. ".... I dunno. The diplomatic situation around here, I guess." Webb ohs quietly and takes on a more serious expression himself. "We're neutral in the war, if that's what you mean. Agressively so, I might add. Works out fairly well for us, I suppose. Empire can't exactly readily scrounge up a fleet of a hundred star destroyers anymore, and even if they did, they'd still take a nasty amount of losses trying to roll over us. Ugly, obselete pieces of junk... The New Republic likes us, because we're peaceful, democratic, and they really need trading partners right about now to keep their economy growing. We'll even let them both visit at the same time... so long as they put their war on hold when they're in system... or at least have the courtesy to keep the hostilities cold." Shenner considers this, her brow furrowed under her dark red bangs, listening with a keen alertness that belies both her apparent age and her generally rude demeanor. "They're... both around right now, ain't they? Empire _and_ NR?" Webb nods slightly and makes a quiet hrmph noise, "I don't like it any more than you do, I assure you that. I'm no fan of the Empire... and having New Republic personnel on the same planet... they'll squabble like children no matter what we bloody well do. Shenner's features crinkle rather further; she doesn't comment upon the simile, perhaps either ignoring or oblivious to it. Her gaze turning a touch distant and dark, she peers down into her cider, while asking, "So they're all here... bein' diplomatic, or somethin' like that? Guess that must be why I saw her..." Webb gives a small nod and mutters, "Yeah. They're here for trade negotiations I suppose. Both sides want to get nice and cozy with us, of course." He smirks a little and continues, "Got a pair of Mon Cal Star Cruisers up on top of us, and a Star Destroyer... Imperator Class or something like that... anyhow it's sitting at our outer marker. And would you believe it or not, they're actually not shooting each other. Of course, that's probably because the Third bloody Fleet is sitting between them with enough firepower to take of all three ships... and both sides are probably eagerly stabbing each other in the backs while they're in private. Still, it's something to behold." Shen just sits there with her cider mug forgotten in one hand, the other hand once more fiddling with her pendant. Her lower lip tucks in slightly under her teeth for a moment, and then she says, softly and simply and gravely, "Oh." Webb observes you silently for a long moment, his steely grey eyes casting towards your pendant, then to the biting of your lip, then up to your eyes, before he asks, "You okay?" The pendant -- a small silver-and-brass thing, barely big enough to be a ring -- remains out in Shen's fingers. But she also starts, blurting, "Wha--?" And then, sheepishly, not meeting the grey gaze upon her, she adds, "Yeah... yeah, I-I'm fine. I... just saw Princess Leia a coupla times, see, and, uh... I was wonderin'." Webb's mouth curls up slightly on the left side, only momentarily before he says, "Yeah. I've seen her about a few times myself. She's probably one of the few New Republic politicians I can stand really." The redheaded girl makes a small more or less assenting sort of noise, suddenly remembering her cider. She gulps down a mouthful of the stuff without paying attention to its slowly lowering temperature, her fingers still restlessly sliding the pendant around between them. But Shenner's expression is turning distinctly troubled, too, brows winging down low over her eyes. "Do you, uh... know anything about..." She trails off, then continues, her voice rather huskier, her gaze pointed off across the bar, "... that... I mean... d'ya know if she's... okay?" Webb's gaze drifts down to your pendant for a moment, before he says, "Yeah. She's alright kiddo. She's made from tougher stuff than a lot of people, I suppose. And I get another one of those bloody mystics to hunt," he sighs quietly and shakes his head, "Warped little trolls they are..." The pendant stops its slide on its chain through Shen's slender fingers, but mostly only because the girl's now gripping the thing in a tight little fist. "Thanks," she mumbles. "'Preciate it." Webb flashes a brief, weary grin again and murmurs to you, "Any time, friend. Maybe you'd better get some rest. You look almost as if you need it as badly as I do... which is quite an achievment in my books." "Wha... no, I'm fine. I'm fine." Shenner gets swiftly to her feet, though, gulping down the rest of her drink. Webb looks at if he's about to say something, but it's cut off by one of those eye-watering yawns before the words can get out of his mouth. He chuckles quietly before he says, "Yeah? Well, you're doing better than I am then. I think I'm going to drag these weary bones on home, and sleep like the dead." That seems to be enough to jolt Shenner out of whatever worried musing has settled over her, at least enough for her to glance over and mutter roughly, "Okay.... 'night, pal." Webb tosses several credits onto the bar for Ariani, settling his tab before he turns to trudge his way out of the bar, raising a hand in a wave to you before he disappears into the night. It looks like the rain has let up, by the way... though the way this planet seems to have been lately, it'll be pouring soon enough. [End log.]